Shire Hall

Shire Hall

Also from here it is possible to see the Shire Hall at the bottom of High Street.

This building replaced the old Guildhall and was built in 1837.

From the start the design was meant to be one that awed any who stepped into it and it is considered to be the finest courtroom of its age in the country.

The first major case heard here on the 12th March 1844 was to be one of the last trials of the Rebecca Rioters; those on trial received remarkably lenient sentences or else were acquitted.

In 2006 the County Council gave the building to a developer.

Also from here can be seen the business premises of Munt the jewellers. This business was opened in 1796 and is the oldest business in the town. The clock above the door has been a town landmark since the mid 19th century.

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